The Star-LedgerAds from Verizon, left, and Cablevision, right, ran in papers starting Saturday, as part of Cablevision's standoff with News Corp.

News Corp. has upped the ante in its showdown with Cablevision, taking out a full-page newspaper ad to offer a little piece of advice to rankled television viewers: Get Verizon FiOS.

The ad is one of several to enter the public opinion war during contentious negotiations over multimillion dollar fees News Corp. wants Cablevision to pay to carry Fox 5 and My9 programming. As the standoff drags into its second week, the ad appeared in about nine newspapers, including The Star-Ledger, starting today.

And then there’s this full-page message appearing today from Cablevision: Under the photo of a pouty blonde TV viewer, the ad addresses Fox’s owner, saying, "Um, hello, News Corp? I’m still waiting..."

Meanwhile, opportunity knocks for Cablevision rival Verizon, which is seeking to capitalize on the impasse by luring away frustrated viewers. The company today is running its own full-page ad: "Another Cablevision Blackout. Another Reason to Get FiOS." All of the ads helpfully offer readers telephone numbers to call.

By the end of the business day Monday, both Fox and Cablevision must respond to demands from federal regulators that they release details of their negotiations.

The two companies received chastising letters Friday from the Federal Communications Commission, which asked each to show evidence they are negotiating in "good faith" and making efforts to reach a deal over the fee dispute — or that the other side is not.

At issue is Fox’s demand that Cablevision pay a $150 million fee — more than twice what the cable company had been paying — to air Fox programming.

FCC officials told the companies to conclude their negotiations promptly for the sake of "millions of innocent customers."

The blackout affects about 3 million viewers. They may miss Sunday’s National Football League game between Philadelphia and Tennessee, and an episode of "House" Monday. They were unable to watch tonight’s playoff game between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants.

Sports fans may also lose out on the World Series, which starts Wednesday. Fox put out a statement urging Cablevision subscribers who want to watch the series to switch video providers or purchase an over-the-air antenna.

Cablevision has said it welcomes "FCC action, binding arbitration or any other means" to end the blackout.

Yesterday, the back-and-forth continued, with Cablevision broadcasting a TV message saying it had made several new offers that were rejected by Fox. But Fox spokesman Scott Grogin countered those offers didn’t reflect "any real movement from their original offer."

"They are offering us pennies, and obviously believe Fox’s programming has little value," he said. "Until they come to the table with a serious proposal, we cannot take their negotiations seriously."